More bad news on bisphenol-A in cans, bottles

Remember those conflicting studies on whether the chemical was safe? (This is the one widely used in baby bottles, water bottles, and the lining of most cans.) Not looking so conflicting anymore. The Washington Post reports:

“The Food and Drug Administration ignored scientific evidence and used flawed methods when it determined that a chemical widely used in baby bottles and in the lining of cans is not harmful, a scientific advisory panel has found.

In a highly critical report to be released today, the panel of scientists from government and academia said the FDA did not take into consideration scores of studies that have linked bisphenol A (BPA) to prostate cancer, diabetes and other health problems in animals when it completed a draft risk assessment of the chemical last month. The panel said the FDA didn’t use enough infant formula samples and didn’t adequately account for variations among the samples.”

Here’s a Post story from last month on avoiding Bisphenol A. Helpful tip: “Manufacturers are not required to disclose whether an item contains BPA, but polycarbonate containers that do usually have a No. 7 on the bottom.”

Eden beans are also looking mighty good. Will other manufacturers of canned food follow their lead?